McLaren GT3 v2 Wheel Not Straight and Fanatec's Response
Andrew Eales
Member
Hello,
I own a Mclaren GT3 v2 wheel and it is not straight. The left side sits about 5mm further away from me compared to the right side. I submitted a support request and included pictures showing the error. It's noticeable in the picture but even more noticeable when in use.
Fanatec's response is that they know about the problem and its just a reality that the QR1 lite part of the wheel is not always made perfectly straight because when the plastic cools down it can warp. They offered me 30% off the metal quick release as compensation.
Does anyone else find this completely unacceptable? I mean surely their standard of product should include that their wheels are straight? Right? And 30% off plus shipping on the $100 Metal QR product is at least $80. They want me to spend $80 on a $200 wheel to fix their error. And surely at 30% off they are still making a profit. So they are probably making a profit on their own error at the expense of the user.
I've spent over $2000 with fanatec this year and this has completely changed my opinion of them. I was the guy who had a fanatec sticker on my fridge and always used the fanatec liveries in game. No more.
Is anyone else out their representing Fanatec have a resolution for me? Thank you.
Comments
Im sorry but I just have to add one more thing. My logitech wheel that I bought for $120 15 years ago is still straight. Come on Fanatec!
No - this is unacceptable. There are three things that Fanatec should be doing to rectify this -
Looking to improve their manufacturing process to minimise these issues.
Increase QC checks and reject deformed parts before they ever get to the customers.
And they should be providing customers who are affected by their manufacturing issues with replacements FOC. This is their problem, not yours - you should not have to pay them more money to fix issues that are their responsibility.
Agreed, this is not right.
My first product I purchased from Fanatec was the Porsche 911 GT2 Wheel, along with their RennSport wheel stand, and a set of their "standard" pedals (all plastic, not very good quality, but it was all I could afford at the time). After only a couple of weeks, some sort of issue arose with the pedals (I don't remember exactly what, but it was something that I definitely didn't feel should have happened through normal use, especially in a product so new).
At the time, IIRC, I was given the option of a replacement set of those same pedals, or I could apply the price of those pedals as a discount toward a set of the Clubsport v1's, which was what I wound up doing.
I feel like the same thing should be offered in OP's case. The offer to upgrade to the metal QR1 is acceptable ONLY if the option to receive a replacement QR1 Lite free of charge is also offered. It can't be a case of the customer's only recourse for solving a problem (which was entirely not of his doing) is to spend more money. Give the customer the choice, and in the meantime, start developing some better QC procedures.
Yup definitely agree with you there guys!
If the QR Lite (plastic) has not been manufactured correctly then it is a defective item and should be offered as a replacement for free. Shipping included.
Fanatec it is not right for you to just offer a 30% discount on QR1 (metal) to correct the issue. Do not let your poor quality control affect how the public perceive you. It will start to snowball.
I have never had a FFB wheel and my 1st is the CSL DD. And I do love it. Correct that I do not have any comparison at all with belt driven bases, but I have used belt driven bases at various locations and the difference is so noticeable.
You have to offer a free replacement.
Thanks for the support guys, but unfortunately Fanatec doesn't seem to agree. These are some of their responses.
Markus - "Within the manufacturing process of the QR1 Lite it cannot be avoided, that the material can deform during the cooldown process of the plastic, which leads to a very slight bending of the part which should not become noticeable during use."
My Response - "Well, unfortunately it is clearly noticeable. Maybe if its unavoidable you should put that on the product page? How about 75% off? Aren't you still making a profit on 30% off? Should you guys be making a profit on not making your wheel properly?"
Nikolay - "Thank you for replying. My colleague Markus is not in the office today so I will be taking care of your case. I completely understand your point, but at the moment, there is no other solution that I can provide, unfortuantely. I will make sure to forward your feedback. As my colleague Markus stated, we can offer 30% off from the ClubSport Quick release adapter. If you wish to proceed with this option, please let me know and I will process it for you immediately. In the meantime, in case you have any questions, issues or concerns, please let me know."
My Response - "Would it be possible to send me a new QR1 lite? Or are they all not straight? I do have concerns. I own a CSL elite, CSL dd, club sport V3 pedals, and fanatec shifter. I'm concerned about future customer support for all of them."
Alexander - "The CSL steering wheel is an entry level product, which should stay affordable and therefor some decisions have to be made, such as the material choice. This can result in such behavior as you are experiencing and is considered as normal since it does not affect the usability or the performance of the products."
My Response - "But it does effect the usability. The wheel is crooked. You have to sit crooked in your chair to compensate. I'll ask again, Would it be possible to send me a new QR1 lite? Or are they all not straight? My Logitech wheel from 15 years ago is perfectly straight. That was an affordable product. I disagree with you completely. A $200 wheel attached to a $450 base shouldn't be straight? Is that your standard?"
...Now I'm waiting to receive another 30% off offer...
And I want to be clear, I love all my products from Fanatec. This CDL DD is epic and I'm really enjoying the Fanatec Shifter in sequential mode. I'm not some anti Fanatec guy. But surely the wheel should be straight?!?!
Do not ask for more discount! Unless it is free! Even if they give you 50% or 60% for the QR1 (metal), you still have to "pay" extra for a problem which is of no fault of yours, to be resolved!
A crooked steering wheel is not what you paid to own!
Just ask for the QR1 lite to be replaced with shipping and make sure you do not have to pay for any additional fee or VAT in your country etc etc.
Yep that is what I am waiting to hear on right now - if they will send me a QR1 lite replacement for free. Seems very fair to me. Three different representatives didn't offer this though, and one (Alexander) did not respond to me asking.
I also wouldn't mind 75% off the Metal Quick Release, I think that would be fair having me come out of pocket partially, since it is an "upgrade" for reasons other than my issue. But 30% is ridiculous. They shouldn't be making a profit on their own error at the expense of the user.
Personally, I think the best way to achieve a fair outcome is to keep it simple.
Asking them to replace an item with a defect with a one with no defect is simple and clearly justified. Despite their early protestations they have no moral or legal right to refuse this request.
But entering into negotiations on discount on a different product muddies the water - it stops this from being a simple case of Fanatec refusing to repair or replace a faulty item and turn it into Fanatec providing a goodwill discount on a different product - and you getting into an argument about the size of that discount. Don't play that game - simply ask them to replace their faulty product.
Agreed, a straight up replacement of the QR1 Lite is probably your best bet. The simple fact of the matter is, they sold you a defective product. Their claim that it doesn't affect usability is weak, at best, given that you've shown that it is visibly crooked, and is something that you will see and feel and physically compensate for, every single time you use the product.
The argument of it being a natural byproduct of the cooling process during manufacturing? That may be true, but this just shows that Fanatec need to tighten up their QC processes. When something is as visibly "off" as the QR1 Lite you've shown, chances are pretty high that the customer is going to notice and not be pleased. The product may still "technically" work, but clearly its appearance, fit, and finish are not what the customer expected, and that alone should be reason enough for Fanatec to ensure that such a product never finds its way into a customer's hands.
And that's really what it comes down to. They sold you a defective product, and now they want you to spend more money to fix the problem. That's completely unjustified. Supplying you with a replacement QR1 Lite, free of any charge, is the only fair option here.
Wow this is terrible customer service from Fanatec, they may well say that CSL products are entry level in their line up but that's no excuse for poor quality components across the CSL line, these things still cost a lot of money especially as an 'entry level' CSD DD + wheel is £700+ plus pedals on top which is big jump for people coming from cheaper wheels which come with pedals included.
At what point in all the advertising for CSL products does it point out that they are a budget line so therefore expect problems that they deem acceptable and won't fix?
This definitely makes me question my decision to stay in the Fanatec ecosystem. Back when I bought my first wheel from them in 2011 or 2012 from what I remember their customer service was fantastic, I had a couple of issues that they resolved quickly by just shipping out replacement parts right away free of charge. Since then I never really had any other hardware issues so never needed to contact them so I didn't hesitate to order a CSL DD and wheel recently as I assumed they still had the same level of customer service but apparently they don't. The CSL DD fetches very strong money currently on the used market in the UK so I'm tempted to sell all my Fanatec gear when the warranty is up and switch to a different ecosystem, yes I know other ecosystems will be more expensive but if I have to start paying out for repairs to my Fanatec gear then that could get expensive too. The VRS direct drive wheel base looks fairly similarly priced to Fanatec and they are expanding their ecosystem to include wheels too at some point.
I am a little annoyed myself at the moment with Fanatec customer service, I bought a used wheel recently that still has warranty and one of the buttons just simply does not work so I contacted CS with a video along with the serial number of the wheel and the original Fanatec order number but they won't help unless I can provide them with a copy of the original invoice which I do not have.
Their answer is for me to get the seller to open a support ticket to request a copy of his original invoice, which he then has to pass on to me and I then have to pass back to Fanatec, the whole thing of all passing the invoice around is pointless as it it has to come from them, to the seller, to me and then back to them again. The problem is the guy I bought it from has stopped communicating with me so I assume he's not interested in obtaining a copy of his original invoice for me and Fanatec don't seem willing to connect the dots from the serial number and order number to see if the wheel is still covered by warranty.
You've entered a grey area there. You say that the used wheel you have still has a warranty - but that warranty is only valid for the original owner - the warranty on consumer goods is between the manufacturer and their customer.
Some companies will provide warranty service on used goods, and some like Fanatec will only do so on presentation of the proof of purchase. But these are "good will" gestures, there is no obligation on a manufacturer to provide any warranty on used consumer goods. So you either jump through the hoops of getting the invoice or accept that this is just part of the experience buying used rather than new - you pay less, you get less.
I take your point about Fanatec being able to track the product purchase through the serial number if they choose to - but they have no obligation to do so. I'm afraid this is your problem and not theirs - it's for you to meet their wishes and not the other way around.
That is where it is up to the manufacturer how they wish to be perceived in the market.
Certain items I buy into for the sole reason that the company comes with an excellent customer service track record and so I am willing to pay for it. Before I decided to go into the Fanatec ecosystem, all I had read were very good reviews.
I know if I get something on the cheap then I may possibly be in a spot when I need the additional service. It is the risk we all take isn’t it?
Is it stated anywhere that warranty is only for the original buyer? My bad for not checking that out as I expected they would stick to the 2 years from selling date as per the serial number.
Have they sold themselves short by trying to get closer into the mass market for certain lines by competing with Thrustmaster or Logitech, instead of sticking within the enthusiast market? As customer expectations are different.
Regardless of whether the warranty is transferrable in order to get to the stage where I know whether the warranty is valid I have to jump through too many hoops, I have already provided the serial number and the original order so why can't they just check their end if the warranty is valid so I know which direction I have to head. The guy who sold it to me has gone radio silence so doesn't seem like he can be bothered to obtain the original invoice to pass on to me. My point was that getting the invoice off of Fanatec and then passing it to me so I can pass it back to Fanatec seems a bit pointless.
Its all explained in the official Consumer Guarantee that warranty is only valid for the original buyer in the first place and that If the product is not already registered in the Fanatec customer account of the policyholder, a copy of the original invoice (to be uploaded as unchanged PDF file in the support area "Register product") must be provided for the warranty claim. If the product type concerned has a serial number ("SN"), this must be indicated as well.
https://fanatec.com/us-en/fanatec-consumer-guarantee
If Fanatec is not willing to offer this additional customer service, there is the option to open up the wheel yourself to try to clean the contact. If a button is not working, then it could just be a sticky contact.
What wheel is it?
Yes that might be my only option at this point, it's a McLaren V2.
sim racing garage has a video on youtube where he disassembled the mclaren v2.
He may have been aware that the wheel was faulty. That could explain the sale and his subsequent silence.
Cool, I'll check it out.
This is a possibility yes but I don't think so. He's selling all his sim gear by the looks of his other ads and he was very happy to give me his original Fanatec order number, he just won't go the extra step and request a copy of the original invoice for some reason.
I got a copy of the original invoice off of the seller in the end, he works away at sea so had no internet access for a few days. Fanatec have already initiated an RMA for me as it is still covered even though I am not the original purchaser.
That is good to know! Thank you Fanatec.
Let's just hope OP has a positive outcome in his dealings with Fanatec as well.
Yes I hope so because IMO that's unacceptable.
I just talked to a 4th representative, Sanel, who agreed to send me a replacement QR1 Lite free of charge. It shouldnt have taken 15 days, a forum post, and 4 reps to find that resolution, but at least it's happening.
Next I just have to hope that the replacement QR1 Lite is straight or at least straighter! If that's not the case I may take my old QR1 Lite and try to sand it down on one side or maybe put washers on the other side or both.
Good to hear that! Very curious that Fanatec dealt with you that way.
After your post I had to go and have a closer look at my QR Lite just to make sure that it was straight. Maybe mine was molded when the air temperature was warmer and so took its time to cool down! 😄
Excellent news! Yes, it's a shame that it had to come to that, but persistence pays off. Good luck with the new one!
Yea thankfully I don't think this issue is that common, or I would have found more people talking about it. I searched a good amount online if other people have this issue and only found 1 other guy, on this forum. He didn't mention in what way but he said Fanatec took care of him no problem.
They just shipped the part out - I'll let you know in a week or so how well this one cooled down, lol.